Recruitment lessons learned from a tailored web-based health intervention Project Y.E.A.H. (Young Adults Eating and Active for Health)

Purpose – Recruiting college students for research studies can be challenging. The purpose of this paper is to describe the lessons learned in the various recruitment strategies used for enrolling college students in a theory-based, tailored, and web-delivered health intervention at 13 US universities. Design/methodology/approach – The community-based participatory research (CBPR) model was used to develop a staged-tailored, web-based, randomized control trial, focussing on eating behavior, physical activity, and stress management. Participant feedback during baseline assessments was used to evaluate recruitment strategies. Findings – Findings from this feedback suggest that traditional recruitment strategies, such as newspaper ads and flyers, may not be the best approach for recruiting college students; instead, web-based efforts proved to be a better recruitment strategy. Research limitations/implications – This project included results from 13 US universities and thus may not be generalizable: more research is needed to determine successful recruitment methods for 18-24 years old college students. Originality/value – This paper lessens the gap regarding successful recruitment strategies for 18-24 years old college students.

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Reaching the “Hard-to-Reach”: Recruitment of Rural-Dwelling Adults With Disabilities

Journal of Transcultural Nursing ◽

10.1177/1043659619856667 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 31 (2) ◽

pp. 171-177 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Whitney A. Thurman ◽

Tracie C. Harrison

Keyword(s):

Lessons Learned ◽

Recruitment Strategies ◽

Rural America ◽

Professional Networks ◽

Research Recruitment ◽

Adults With Disabilities ◽

Recruitment Methods ◽

Study Results ◽

Hard To Reach Populations ◽

Rural Dwellers

Introduction: There are 46 million individuals living in rural America that require unique consideration for rural health research. Recruitment of research participants from disparity groups can be difficult as these groups can be hard-to-reach. In particular, strategies for reaching rural-dwelling Americans with disabilities are not well-documented. Furthermore, researchers sometimes underestimate the time and effort needed to recruit participants from hard-to-reach populations. The purpose of this article is to report the methods used to recruit 12 rural-dwelling adults with disabilities into a qualitative study. Method: The recruitment strategies discussed in this article were used in a grounded theory study. Results: Fifty percent of the sample in this study was recruited via a community gatekeeper, 33% responded to a classified advertisement, and 17% were recruited via the researchers’ professional networks. Discussion: Lessons learned yield insights as to effective recruitment methods for rural dwellers as well as other hard-to-reach populations.

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Factors Influencing Web-Based Survey Response for a Longitudinal Cohort of Young Women Born Between 1989 and 1995 (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.11286 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Deborah Loxton ◽

Melissa L Harris ◽

Peta Forder ◽

Jennifer Powers ◽

Natalie Townsend ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Studies ◽

Young Women ◽

Survey Response ◽

Recruitment Strategy ◽

Baseline Survey ◽

Recruitment Method ◽

Web Based ◽

Recruitment Methods ◽

Explanatory Factors ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND With health research practices shifting toward rapid recruitment of samples through the use of online approaches, little is known about the impact of these recruitment methods on continued participation in cohort studies. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to report on the retention of a cohort of young women who were recruited using an open recruitment strategy. METHODS Women from the 1989-95 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, recruited in 2012 and 2013 were followed up annually via Web-based surveys in 2014, 2015, and 2016. Prevalence ratios for survey response were calculated using log-binomial models with generalized estimating equations including demographic, health-related, and recruitment method characteristics examined as explanatory factors. RESULTS Of the 17,012 women who completed the baseline survey (Survey 1) in 2012 to 2013, approximately two-thirds completed Survey 2 (2014), and just over half completed Surveys 3 (2015) and 4 (2016). Women demonstrated transient patterns of responding with 38.21% (6501/17,012) of women completing all 4 surveys. Although retention of young women was associated with older age, higher education, higher self-rated health status, and low engagement with adverse health behaviors, the method of recruitment was a key determinant of study participation in the multivariate model. Although women were more likely to be recruited into the cohort via social media (eg, Facebook), retention over time was higher for women recruited through traditional media and referral approaches. CONCLUSIONS A balance must be obtained between achieving representativeness, achieving rapid cohort recruitment, and mitigating the pitfalls of attrition based on recruitment method in the new era of cohort studies, where traditional recruitment methods are no longer exclusively viable options.

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Successfully Recruiting Adults with a Low Socioeconomic Position into Community-Based Lifestyle Programs: A Qualitative Study on Expert Opinions

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17082764 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (8) ◽

pp. 2764 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Josine M. Stuber ◽

Cédric N. H. Middel ◽

Joreintje D. Mackenbach ◽

Joline W. J. Beulens ◽

Jeroen Lakerveld

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Position ◽

Success Factors ◽

Lifestyle Modification ◽

Wide Spectrum ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Target Group ◽

Recruitment Strategy ◽

Recruitment Strategies ◽

Community Based ◽

Low Socioeconomic

We explored experts’ perceived challenges and success factors in the recruitment of adults with a low socioeconomic position (SEP) for participation in community-based lifestyle modification programs. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 experienced project coordinators, based on a topic list that included experiences with recruitment, perceived barriers and success factors, and general views on recruitment strategies. Results revealed challenges related to the context of the program (e.g., limited program resources), psychosocial barriers of the participants (e.g., mistrust or skepticism), practical barriers (e.g., low literacy or having other priorities), and reasons to decline participation (e.g., lack of interest or motivation). Success factors were related to securing beneficial contextual and program-related factors (e.g., multi-layered recruitment strategy), establishing contact with the target group (e.g., via existing networks, community key-members), methods to increase engagement (e.g., personal approach and involvement of the target group in the program process) and making participation easier (e.g., providing transport), and providing various types of incentives. Concluding, the group of participants with low SEP covers a wide spectrum of individuals. Therefore, multiple recruitment strategies at multiple layers should be employed, and tailored. The lessons learned of those with hands-on experiences will help to enhance recruitment in future programs.

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Recruiting for a pragmatic trial using the electronic health record and patient portal: successes and lessons learned

Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association ◽

10.1093/jamia/ocy138 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 44-49 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Emily Pfaff ◽

Adam Lee ◽

Robert Bradford ◽

Jinhee Pae ◽

Clarence Potter ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pragmatic Trial ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Recruitment Strategy ◽

Patient Portal ◽

Recruitment Methods ◽

Research Coordinator ◽

Electronic Method ◽

Electronic Health ◽

Study Participants ◽

Future Work

Abstract Objective Querying electronic health records (EHRs) to find patients meeting study criteria is an efficient method of identifying potential study participants. We aimed to measure the effectiveness of EHR-driven recruitment in the context of ADAPTABLE (Aspirin Dosing: A Patient-centric Trial Assessing Benefits and Long-Term Effectiveness)—a pragmatic trial aiming to recruit 15 000 patients. Materials and Methods We compared the participant yield of 4 recruitment methods: in-clinic recruitment by a research coordinator, letters, direct email, and patient portal messages. Taken together, the latter 2 methods comprised our EHR-driven electronic recruitment workflow. Results The electronic recruitment workflow sent electronic messages to 12 254 recipients; 13.5% of these recipients visited the study website, and 4.2% enrolled in the study. Letters were sent to 427 recipients; 5.6% visited the study website, and 3.3% enrolled in the study. Coordinators recruited 339 participants in clinic; 23.6% visited the study website, and 16.8% enrolled in the study. Five-hundred-nine of the 580 UNC enrollees (87.8%) were recruited using an electronic method. Discussion Electronic recruitment reached a wide net of patients, recruited many participants to the study, and resulted in a workflow that can be reused for future studies. In-clinic recruitment saw the highest yield, suggesting that a combination of recruitment methods may be the best approach. Future work should account for demographic skew that may result by recruiting from a pool of patient portal users. Conclusion The success of electronic recruitment for ADAPTABLE makes this workflow well worth incorporating into an overall recruitment strategy, particularly for a pragmatic trial.

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Implementing the open-source Koha-ILS at the Deutsche Schule Charlotte

Digital Library Perspectives ◽

10.1108/dlp-02-2016-0007 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 32 (4) ◽

pp. 253-269 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Martin D. House

Keyword(s):

Open Source ◽

Selection Process ◽

Single Case ◽

Good Alternative ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Online Support ◽

Successful Implementation ◽

Web Based ◽

Content Type

Purpose This study aims to present the successful implementation of the Koha-integrated library system (ILS) for libraries that seek an open-source alternative. This study is best suited for small libraries with limited collections and limited funding. The selection process between Koha and Evergreen is described, as is cataloging, patron setup and library workflow changes. Finally, lessons learned are presented. Design/methodology/approach This is a case study which describes the events as they occurred between 2013 and 2014. Findings The Koha-ILS appears to be the open-source system with the most online support, easiest to install and manage. Although the experience of libraries may vary, the Deutsche Schule Charlotte library took the pragmatic approach. Koha was chosen because it could be successfully installed, had an intuitive and web-based interface and could be easily explained to volunteers. Research limitations/implications This is a single case study at a very small library. Practical implications This study broadly demonstrates the requirements for implementing the Koha-ILS and how it can be accomplished even with library volunteers. Social implications The Koha-ILS can be a good alternative, despite limitations, for small libraries who need a robust ILS system with few bells and whistles. Originality/value This study presents a finite view of the implementation and use of the Koha-ILS. The physical setting, availability of capable volunteers and administration’s willingness to experiment with a system may not be reproducible in other locales.

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Electronic medical record–based cohort selection and direct-to-patient, targeted recruitment: early efficacy and lessons learned

Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association ◽

10.1093/jamia/ocz168 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (11) ◽

pp. 1209-1217 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Hailey N Miller ◽

Kelly T Gleason ◽

Stephen P Juraschek ◽

Timothy B Plante ◽

Cassie Lewis-Land ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Record ◽

Electronic Medical Record ◽

Response Rate ◽

Target Population ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Recruitment Strategy ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Health Network ◽

Recruitment Methods ◽

Cohort Selection

Abstract Objective The study sought to characterize institution-wide participation in secure messaging (SM) at a large academic health network, describe our experience with electronic medical record (EMR)–based cohort selection, and discuss the potential roles of SM for research recruitment. Materials and Methods Study teams defined eligibility criteria to create a computable phenotype, structured EMR data, to identify and recruit participants. Patients with SM accounts matching this phenotype received recruitment messages. We compared demographic characteristics across SM users and the overall health system. We also tabulated SM activation and use, characteristics of individual studies, and efficacy of the recruitment methods. Results Of the 1 308 820 patients in the health network, 40% had active SM accounts. SM users had a greater proportion of white and non-Hispanic patients than nonactive SM users id. Among the studies included (n = 13), 77% recruited participants with a specific disease or condition. All studies used demographic criteria for their phenotype, while 46% (n = 6) used demographic, disease, and healthcare utilization criteria. The average SM response rate was 2.9%, with higher rates among condition-specific (3.4%) vs general health (1.4%) studies. Those studies with a more inclusive comprehensive phenotype had a higher response rate. Discussion Target population and EMR queries (computable phenotypes) affect recruitment efficacy and should be considered when designing an EMR-based recruitment strategy. Conclusions SM guided by EMR-based cohort selection is a promising approach to identify and enroll research participants. Efforts to increase the number of active SM users and response rate should be implemented to enhance the effectiveness of this recruitment strategy.

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Making the right move. Investigating employers’ recruitment strategies

Personnel Review ◽

10.1108/pr-12-2013-0229 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 44 (5) ◽

pp. 781-800 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Klarita Gërxhani ◽

Ferry Koster

Keyword(s):

Logistic Regression ◽

Regression Analysis ◽

Agency Theory ◽

Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Recruitment Strategy ◽

Recruitment Strategies ◽

Content Type ◽

Job Type ◽

Hiring Process ◽

The Right

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate employers’ recruitment strategies to address distinct job-related agency problems before establishing an employment relationship. Insights from agency theory and the social embeddedness perspective are combined to hypothesize whether and why employers adapt their recruitment strategies to the job type (differing in level of discretion) for which they are externally hiring. Design/methodology/approach – The hypotheses are empirically tested using data from a survey of 288 Dutch employers. Questions were asked about the two types of jobs. Multi-level logistic regression analysis is applied to investigate the effect of social context on the choice of recruitment strategy. In addition to that, separate analyses are conducted for the two job types, using logistic regression analysis. Findings – As predicted, employers have the tendency to use informal recruitment channels more often for jobs with high degree of discretion (i.e. managerial, professional, and specialists jobs (MPS)) than for jobs with low degree of discretion (i.e. administrative and supporting jobs). In addition, the type of information transmitted through employers’ social contacts matters for their recruitment strategies. In particular, the reliable and trustworthy information from contacts with friends and family is more important for MPS jobs. This seems to be the way employers deal with the high agency costs characterizing this type of jobs. Originality/value – This study extends prior research as follows. First, while earlier studies more closely looked at why organizations use formal or informal recruitment, this study specifically focusses on the role the job type plays in the hiring process. Second, it provides an extension of agency theory by including job type in the analyses. And, third, the study examines how the networks of employers, rather than employees, affect the hiring process.

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Recruitment and Retention of Parents of Adolescents in a Text Messaging Trial (MyTeen): Secondary Analysis From a Randomized Controlled Trial

JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting ◽

10.2196/17723 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. e17723

Author(s):

Joanna Ting Wai Chu ◽

Angela Wadham ◽

Yannan Jiang ◽

Karolina Stasiak ◽

Matthew Shepherd ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Text Messaging ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Well Being ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Trial Registration ◽

Control Group ◽

Recruitment Strategies ◽

Web Based ◽

Recruitment And Retention

Background Parenting programs are well established as an effective strategy for enhancing both parenting skills and the well-being of the child. However, recruitment for family programs in clinical and nonclinical settings remains low. Objective This study aims to describe the recruitment and retention methods used in a text messaging program (MyTeen) trial for parents of adolescents (10-15 years) and identify key lessons learned. We aim to provide insights and direction for researchers who seek to recruit parents and build on the limited literature on recruitment and retention strategies for parenting program trials. Methods A recruitment plan was developed, monitored, and modified as needed throughout the course of the project. Strategies to facilitate recruitment were identified (eg, program content and recruitment material, staff characteristics, and study procedures). Traditional and web-based recruitment strategies were used. Results Over a 5-month period, 319 parents or caregivers expressed interest in our study, of which 221 agreed to participate in the study, exceeding our recruitment target of 214 participants. Attrition was low at the 1-month (4.5% overall; intervention group: n=5, 4.6%; control group: n=5, 4.5%) and 3-month follow-ups (9% overall; intervention group: n=10, 9.2%; control group: n=10, 8.9%). Conclusions The use of web-based recruitment strategies appeared to be most effective for recruiting and retaining parents in a text-messaging program trial. However, we encountered recruitment challenges (ie, underrepresentation of ethnic minority groups and fathers) similar to those reported in the literature. Therefore, efforts to engage ethnic minorities and fathers are needed. Trial Registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12618000117213; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=374307

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Optimised clinical study recruitment in palliative care: success strategies and lessons learned

BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care ◽

10.1136/bmjspcare-2019-001820 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 216-220

Author(s):

Clare White ◽

Simon Noble ◽

Max Watson ◽

Flavia Swan ◽

Annmarie Nelson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Palliative Care ◽

Social Marketing ◽

Marketing Mix ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Recruitment Strategies ◽

Related Factors ◽

Planning Stage ◽

Vein Thrombosis ◽

Successful Recruitment ◽

The Social

Recruitment challenges to clinical research studies in palliative care settings, particularly in hospices, are well documented. However, a recent study (Hospice Inpatient Deep vein thrombosis Detection (HIDDen) study) performed across five hospices in the UK recruited above target and on time. We describe strategies that aided successful recruitment in this study, and the lessons learnt for improving future studies. A recent review suggested that the ‘Social Marketing Mix Framework’ (SMMF) could help researchers with recruitment strategies in palliative care. We describe the recruiting strategies employed through the Social Marketing Mix lens and consider if it would be a useful framework for future researchers to use at the planning stage. Successful recruitment strategies employed in HIDDen study included: (i) addressing particular study-related factors, (ii) ensuring all patients were screened and offered participation if eligible, (iii) reducing impact on the clinical team through dedicated research nurses at sites, (iv) addressing research team issues with cross-cover between sites, where geographically possible, and (v) regular video conferencing meetings for support and collaborative solving of challenges. Limited pre-existing research infrastructure at most of the recruiting hospices created particular challenges. The SMMF provides a potential structure to help researchers to plan recruitment. However, to fully streamline trial set up and in order for hospice involvement in research to be realised systematically, a centralised approach to governance, organisational culture change whereby hospices embrace research as a legitimate purpose and consistent access to research staff are identified as key strategic elements promoting recruitment to studies in hospices.

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Hidden patterns

Equality Diversity and Inclusion An International Journal ◽

10.1108/edi-09-2017-0183 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 38 (2) ◽

pp. 265-282 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Regina Collins ◽

Nancy Steffen-Fluhr

Keyword(s):

Lessons Learned ◽

The Novel ◽

Web Based ◽

Content Type ◽

Work Meaning ◽

Kaplan Meier ◽

Product Limit ◽

Survival Studies ◽

Reported Data ◽

The University

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe how one group of ADVANCE Project researchers investigated faculty co-authorship networks to identify relationships between women’s positions in these networks, their research productivity and their advancement at the university – and to make those relationships transparent.Design/methodology/approachMultiple methods for capturing faculty network data were evaluated, including collecting self-reported data and mining bibliometric data from various web-based sources. Faculty co-authorship networks were subsequently analyzed using several methodologies including social network analysis (SNA), network visualizations and the Kaplan–Meier product limit estimator.FindingsResults suggest that co-authorship provides an important way for faculty to signal the value of their work, meaning that co-authoring with many others may be beneficial to productivity and promotion. However, patterns of homophily indicate that male faculty tend to collaborate more with other men, reducing signaling opportunities for women. Visualizing these networks can assist faculty in finding and connecting with new collaborators and can provide administrators with unique views of the interactions within their organizations. Finally, Kaplan–Meier survival studies showed longitudinal differences in the retention and advancement of faculty based on gender.Originality/valueTogether, these findings begin to shed light on subtle differences that, over time, may account for the significant gender disparities at STEM institutions, patterns which should be investigated and addressed by administrators. Lessons learned, as well as the novel use of SNA and Kaplan–Meier in investigating gender differences in STEM faculty, provide important findings for other researchers seeking to conduct similar studies at their own institutions.

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